Signal umbrella



' Jan. 4, 1938. T. c. CARMODY SIGNAL.v UMBRELLA Filed April 23, 1937 Patented Jan. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES new* @i4-FICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to umbrellas of the type wherein a lamp is incorporated in the tip of the stick and, when carried after nightfall by a pedestrian crossing the street, serves as a signal to approaching autoists.

An essential object of my invention is to control the operation of an electric signal light by mechanical rather than by electrical means whereby the vulnerability and uncertainties incident to electrical conductors are avoided, and sure, strong, and positively acting control of the lamp is insured.

Additional objects are to simplify the construction of the stick, and to render unnecessary the interposition of contact brushes or disk brushes between the pole of the battery and the central pole of the lamp.`

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in View, my invention consists in a novel article, as more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and more specifically defined inthe claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure l is a side elevation of an umbrella embodying my invention,

Figure 2, a fragmentary side elevation of the same partially in` vertical central section,

Figures 3 and 4, transverse sections of the same on lines 3 3 and 4--4 respectively of Figure 2, and

Figure 5, a side elevation of a modied form of my invention.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts through the views.

As herein illustrated my umbrella 9 comprises a tubular stick or staff Ill of which the handle I I constitutes a portion, a rib covering I2, a band I3, and ribs I4, the latter being fastened to the stick by the usual means.

The stick carries upon its upper end a dome shaped tip or housing I1 of refractory material provided with a central light aperture or orifice I8 and provided at its lower end with a thread I9 engaging an internal thread 20 in the upper end of the stick. An electric lamp 22 includes an incandescent bulb 23, seated in the .orifice I8 of the cap Il, a lamp socket 24, and the usual central carbon pole 25.

In a spiral external corrugation 2l upon the socket rest the upper coils of a spring 28 which is substantially spiral whose lowermost coil is attached to or rests upon the top of a battery 30 whose terminal or pole 3| is normally spaced from and in vertical alignment with the lamp terminal or pole 25. I

The battery, which is loose in the stick, is supported by a plunger 32 comprising a disk or head 33 normally resting upon an internal annular stop 5 shoulder 34 in the stick, a rod 35, and a terminal lateral finger' 36 extending through a bayonet slot 3l near the lower end of the stick.

The slot comprises a vertical portion 38, and a horizontal portion 39 extending from the up- 10 per end of the former. The finger 36 normally extends through the lower end of the slot portion 38, which portion is of a length substantially equal to the distance between the terminals 25 and 3|. Therefore when the operator `manually elevates the finger 36 to its uppermost position the terminals Contact with each other to produce a light in the bulb, whereupon the operator swings the finger 3E laterally into the slot portion 39 where the finger is supported until manually released.

The modification shown in Figure 5 is the same construction as that already described except that the stick 4I) omits the bayonet slot, the handle portion 4I of the stick is vertical with 25 a consequently vertically disposed slot or passage 42 for the iingerless rod 43 with a terminal button 44. A swing ring 45 is also herein shown. This construction lacks the function of maintaining the electrical contacts in continued interengagement, but the operator must manually continue to press upon the button 44 to maintain continued connection.

I claim:-

l; In an umbrella, a tubular stick, a tip upon the stick provided with an orifice, an incandescent lamp` in the tip, a battery for the lamp slidably mounted in the stick, a, spring engaging the lamp and battery, an internal stop shoulder "on the stick below the battery, said stick being provided below the shoulder with a slot, and a plunger including a disk normally resting upon the shoulder and supporting the battery, and a depending rod upon the disk registering in the slot.

2. In an umbrella, a tubular stick, a tip upon the stick provided with an orifice, an incandescent lamp in the tip, a battery for the lamp slidably mounted in the stick, a spring engaging the lamp and battery, an internal stop shoulder on the stick below the battery, said stick being provided below the shoulder with a bayonet slot, and a plunger including a disk normally resting upon the shoulder and supporting the battery, a

depending rod attached to the disk, and a finger on said rod extending through the slot.

3. An umbrella comprising an elongated tubular stick having a handle portion at one end thereof and an incandescent lamp at the opposite end thereof, a surrounding umbrella covering attached to the stick adjacent said incandescent lamp with said lamp externally of the covering, a battery slidably mounted in the lamp end of the stick, a, spring interposed between the lamp and battery normally holding the battery out of contact with the lamp, and a plunger extending slidably through the major portion of the length of the stick from said battery to the handle end thereof for moving said battery into contact with the lamp.

THOMAS G. CARMODY. 

